And Yet They Ran
by EmmaMary
Summary: In The Heights. BennyNina. She knew now, what it really felt like. Just like everyone always said, when you loose one of your senses the other four grew stronger.


The last things she saw was his broad shoulders, crossed brows, and determined face rushing toward her in the crowd before she was swept into his arms, engulfed by his heated, angry kiss.

Once the fireworks stopped everything went dark. Their world was lit by the moon and the stars, too dull for anyone to find their way in the caverns between the city buildings.

And yet they ran. He pulled her away from the crowed immediately, taking her to brave the maze of buildings in the dark.

Now there was nothing, nothing but blackness. She was left to relying on nothing but her hearing and her touch.

She knew now, what it really felt like. Just like everyone always said, when you loose one of your senses the other four grew stronger.

Everything noise was exaggerated in her ears. Their feet pounded continually on the cold cement of the abandoned streets. Thunderous booms shocked her ear drums with each harsh, fast step they took. She heard voices coming from every direction; some were deep, roaring shouts filled with anger, more were piercing shrieks of fright, while others were desperate cries for loved ones. Each voice reverberated itself in her ears, echoing in her mind until long after they had passed. She heard car horns screeching into the night, glass shattering against the tin trashcans thrown through windows, sirens wailing; providing light somewhere off in the distance that she could not see.

She also heard gun shots.

Their deafening noise bombarded her ears. They were so loud they sounded as if they were being fired right beside her.

It wasn't until she heard the gunshots that she realized how much she was _feeling_ at that moment.

Wet, hot, sticky teardrops slid down her face in waves. She could feel them dripping onto her exposed collarbone as she ran. She forcefully willed herself to stop crying, and yet she just cried harder. Her eyes were swollen and itchy, her nose dripping onto her lips. She could taste the salty fluids as they snuck into her open mouth. Her breaths came in short, harsh pants. Her chest was burning, fighting and begging for the oxygen she could not give it. The crying wasn't helping. She felt as though she would collapse any second.

The dark world around her spun in and out like a kaleidoscope of noises and feelings, spinning faster and faster with each stride she took. Her arms were hot, sweat pasted her flimsy dress to her torso, her hair beat cruelly against the back of her neck as tears continued to flow out of her blazing eyes. She knew that any second the world would spin together and she would be engulfed by the panic, a victim of turmoil.

And yet, she kept running. Because of the one feeling that overcame all of them.

It overcame the fear, the pain, and the desperation. It beat the urge that told her to stop, to let herself be taken by the mobs of manic people. It kept her going.

It was the feeling of his hand, grasped so tightly onto hers it hurt. She could feel his blood pulsating through his fingers, each muscle of his left a momentary impression on her delicate palm, his hand shook, from exhaustion…

..from fear.

And even though she knew he was terrified (she could practically hear his heart pounding out of his chest) his touch was the only thing that was assuring her everything would be fine.

And suddenly he stopped. She slammed into his arm, grabbing it severely for balance. Her legs felt as though they were going to fall off of her body, all she wanted to do was collapse onto the ground, but his hand was still grasped onto her and she remained standing.

"We can't go this way," he said wretchedly, less out of breathe than she has expected him to be.

She huffed several gulps of breath against his shoulder before asking why.

"Look," was all the reply she got.

She heavily lifted her head as he took two steps forward to eliminate the dumpster blocking her view, and saw what he was talking about.

The blue and red lights flashed harshly and burned her eyes; she blinked a few times, her head pounding, before realizing what was happening.

Four police cars were parked across the entire street, their officers surrounding them on the other side. They couldn't tell what was going on beyond them, but they knew enough to know they weren't going to get through. It was the only way to make it to Nina's home.

"Come on," Benny said, pulling her hand as they ran down the street again.

Nina didn't know where he was taking her, and was too delirious to care. She trusted him to get them both to safety.

She just wished they didn't have to _run_ to safety.

While he was jogging every morning since he graduated high school, she had been sitting behind computers and books for the last six years

But when she heard more gun shots echo in her ears, she was content with the running.

* * *

It was too dark for her to see where they were when he slowed his run into a fast walk.

"We're here," he huffed, not letting go of her hand as he led her though two doors and up two flights of stairs.

She didn't realize that they were at his apartment until he pulled a key out of his pocket and started trying to unlock the door in the dark. She felt a wave of loss ripple through her body as he Benny let go of her hand to get a better handle on the key.

She rested her head against the wall as he worked with the key; her breaths came out in wild pants. Finally the door sprung open and Nina followed Benny inside.

"Wait there," Benny warned her, "the place is kind of a mess. I have some candles I think."

Nina stood by the door, trying her hardest to catch her breath as she listened to Benny rummage through his small apartment, searching for any source of light.

"Score," she heard him shout. She giggled at his enthusiasm.

Suddenly he was walking towards her again, a ray of light pointing towards her feet.

"Okay," he said, stopping at what Nina assumed was his kitchen table. He dropped the several things that he had piled into his arms, making them rattle across the table. He shone the flashlight he had found upon the objects. There Nina saw five or six candles, another flashlight, a box of matches, and was she assumed was Benny's prized find, a battery powered lantern.

Nina stayed where she was planted, for fear of her legs giving out on her if she took a step forward.

Benny fluidly lit all the candles with one match, barley getting the last one to catch before the fire of the match had reached his fingers. For a moment more he fiddled with the camping lantern, before its fluorescent shine illuminated the five feet around it, showing Nina what a mess Benny's apartment really was. The light flickered and flashed annoyingly across the table.

She smiled, despite the last showing of tears that were till dripping down her red cheeks.

Finally Benny held out a flashlight towards where she was standing, where she was still mostly hidden in the shadows.

"For you," he smiled.

She moved toward him slowly, her legs shaking as she stepped over discarded clothes and other miscellaneous items she didn't care to identify in the dim lighting.

The moment her face was illuminated by the camping lantern Benny rose from the chair he had sat in to ease his own legs.

"Hey," he said, moving toward her until their bodies were practically touching. "You okay?"

A new wave of tears spilled out of Nina's eyes. In a split second Benny's hand was rested upon her cheek, the pads of his thumbs wiping the fresh tears from her eyes.

"No I'm fine; I don't know what's wrong with me. I was just scared before, but I'm safe now. I'm fine, promise."

Nina wasn't used to this whole 'being taken care of' thing.

She tilted her head down to the ground, ashamed to meet his eyes.

"Nina," he said softly and smiled, "it's okay."

At his words she leaned into his chest, his shirt sticky from the summer heat. His strong arms wrapped around her shaking shoulders.

"I was just so scared," she cried, her words almost inaudible against his chest. "Everyone was going crazy, and I couldn't find you anywhere, and then we were running and all the gun shots and the cries, I was just so afraid you were going to let go of my hand and I wouldn't be able to keep up with you…"

"Nina," he said in the most comforting voice Nina had ever heard. "I know. When I lost you in the club I almost had a damn panic attack. I didn't know where you were or what had happened to you…or…God…I…I…couldn't lose you."

"I'm so sorry," she cried into his baby blue shirt.

"Nina, don't…"

"No, it's all my fault," she pulled her head away from his chest to look him in the eyes, but wouldn't dare make him loosen his grip on her body. "It's my fault that you got fired and you don't have a job anymore and you may not…"

"Nina stop, please."

"But…"

"I never should have been mad at you, I never should have yelled at you, or been so horrible to you, I was mad I didn't have a job, it… it doesn't matter anymore. Nothing that happened tonight matters, nothing but right now."

"Thank you for keeping me safe."

With nothing more to say Benny leaned down and captured her lips with his. Several moments later he broke away.

"In about an hour the crowds will probably have died down, I'll take you home then."

She looked at him for a moment, their eyes locked together.

"I don't want to go home."

Benny dropped his embrace and took several steps backward.

"Nina…I…"

"Benny, I want to stay here… with you."

"Nina, you don't need to be afraid, I'm sure whatever those cops were dealing with is broken up now, we can just take…"

"Benny..." she whispered.

"Nina I don't want to…"

"You're not," she assured him softly, "I feel safe here. I'm too scared to go back."

"You don't have to be."

Nina placed herself right back into Benny's arms.

"I'm too scared not to be with you tonight, I need you to protect me," she smiled up at him.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

He kissed her again, but this time it was her who pulled away.

"Benny, turn off the stupid camping light, it's not exactly romantic."

He laughed, reached over, and clicked off the light.


End file.
